Examining of Accommodation Businesses in terms of Digital Marketing: Case of Samsun

Abstract

Purpose - Nowadays, consumers spend more time and research on the internet. It can be said that these researches made by consumers are effective in purchasing decision processes. Businesses aim to stay in touch with consumers and influence their purchasing decision processes and therefore should attach importance to digital marketing activities. In this study, it is aimed to examine the websites and social media accounts of the accommodation businesses in Samsun by using a content analysis.

Design\methodology\approach - In the research, qualitative research method was used. The determined accommodation businesses are those that have received a business certificate from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in Samsun. Within the scope of the research 26 accommodation establishments were evaluated according quality website, search engine optimization, strong social media presence, mobile- friendly and e-mail marketing criteria.

Result - According to the results, it has been determined that the web pages of most of the accommodation businesses are not up to date but are compatible with mobile devices. In addition, it has been observed that most of these businesses have Facebook and Instagram social media accounts.

Discussion - Suggestions for businesses and researchers have been developed in line with the results obtained. Samsun is the largest and most developed city of the Black Sea Region. There is no study regarding the analysis of the web pages of the accommodation establishments in Samsun. Therefore, this study is the first in terms of its purpose and the region where it was conducted. In this context, research is important in terms of its contributions to the literature and industry.